USU volleyball dominates in historic win against Nevada

There was all kinds of fanfare Tuesday night when the USU volleyball team faced Nevada at the Wayne Estes Center: an energetic crowd, a pink-out for breast cancer awareness and shirts distributed by Riley Gaines in support of the Aggies’ recent forfeiture against San Jose State University over their stance on transgender athletes. The volleyball team has made headlines both on and off the court for various reasons in recent weeks, and that trend is likely to continue, given their recent hot streak.

The Aggies dominated Tuesday’s match from start to finish, sweeping the Wolfpack 3-0 with a decisive combined score of 75-42—a performance that head coach Rob Neilson found particularly awe-inspiring.

“It was as complete a match as maybe we’ve ever played in my five years here,” Coach Neilson said. “We hit great. We defended them great. We blocked great. We served great, we passed great.”

USU not only delivered top-notch play but also displayed a newfound confidence and swagger, starkly contrasting their timidness in pressure situations earlier this season. Outside hitter Mara Štiglic was one of the most athletic, most powerfully striking players on the court, finishing with 11 kills and 3.5 blocks. 

Štiglic has consistently been a key focal point in the Aggies’ attack this year, but the most striking improvement has been in her mental strength and assertiveness on offense. In Tuesday’s game, she was unapologetic, brash and unshakable, staring down her opponents and even wagging her finger at the Wolfpack after a huge rejection at the net.

“She plays fearlessly,” middle blocker Kelsey Watson said about Štiglic. “Every time the ball comes to her, she plays fearlessly, so I can brag about that.”

Watson herself had an impressive showing, registering eight kills with a 0.583 hitting percentage and five blocks. The Aggies’ front line towered over the shorter Nevada team, which showed in the blocks category. USU recorded ten blocks in the match, while Nevada finished with only two.

To put the Aggies’ exceptional offense into perspective, they hit 0.507 in the match, the first time they had had a hitting percentage of 0.500 or better since 1997.

“I’m just really impressed with how our team’s growing,” Coach Neilson said. “It’s fun to see against a really good and aggressive and competitive Nevada team.”

The result was strikingly different from Utah State’s previous matchup against Nevada on Oct. 15, which they lost 3-2. This victory, however, aligns more closely with their recent success. In their last eight matches, Utah State has a record of 6-2, with one loss to Nevada and the other due to their forfeiture against San Jose State.

The Aggies will return to the court on Thursday in a rematch against Boise State. On Oct. 19, USU won 3-2 in Boise in a strong offensive showing, but Coach Neilson recognized that the challenge would be maintaining the level of intensity.

“Offensively, we were really good in that match,” Coach Neilson said. “But they served us off the court, so can we find that rhythm again? It’s going to be important.”

Considering the Broncos are among the top teams in the Mountain West standings, the Aggies must quickly move past this historic victory. They have only one day of rest before their next match. 

But Watson didn’t seem too concerned, even suggesting that the quick turnaround could benefit Utah State.

“The structure of playing Tuesday [then] Thursday is really exciting because you’re so locked in on one game, and then you immediately have to turn around and work on Boise,” Watson said. “The biggest thing is just staying locked in with what we’re doing, and if we know what our roles are on the court, then we can figure it out.”

Staying locked in will be the Aggies’ priority as they inch closer to the conference tournament, so the off-court distractions will have to be dealt with at a later time.

Coach Neilson acknowledged the shirts worn by fans in support of Utah State’s recent boycott but aimed to move past the controversy. 

“We’ve taken our stand in certain ways and feel a lot of compassion for people involved on every side,” Coach Neilson said. “[We’re] trying to navigate our way through some tricky situations and do our best to keep our group focused on what we can control.”

In a press release issued on Oct. 29 before the game, over 30 members of the Utah House of Representatives voiced their support for the recent forfeit against San Jose and shared they would be in attendance at the game last night. 

“Tonight, members of the Utah House of Representatives will stand up for and support women’s sports by attending the Utah State University Women’s Volleyball match against the University of Nevada,” the representatives wrote in the press release. “We commend and stand with the young women in our state, refusing to compete where their rights to equal opportunity and a safe and level playing field are being violated. We are grateful for our University administrators who stood beside our women athletes.”